Dysmenorrhea is a very common gynological condition among women in the United States. A widespread reproductive health topic, dysmenorrhea affects a woman’s menstruation and can lead to painful periods, including stomach cramps and heavy bleeding.

What is Dysmenorrhea?

Dysmenorrhea is defined as a difficult or painful period, and it currently affects over half of all women. Dysmenorrhea is differentiated from severe PMS by the fact that it causes a disruption in regular activities and lifestyle for one to two days per month.

Primary dysmenorrhea (also known as spasmodic dysmenorrhea) is defined as menstrual pain that is not related to a pelvic disease. This type of dysmenorrhea occurs a few years after a woman has had her first menstrual period (also known as menarche). It affects 50% of all post-pubescent females.

Dysmenorrhea Symptoms

If dysmenorrhea symptoms interrupt your schedule for more than a few days a month, you should consult your doctor.

Why Does it Occur?

It is believed that primary dysmenorrhea occurs due to prostaglandins, the same hormone-like substance that plays a role in pain and inflammation that lead to muscle contractions during a woman’s period. Prostaglandins are believed to cause menstrual cramps.

Secondary dysmenorrhea on the other hand is caused by a pelvic condition that causes pelvic pain like endometriosis or ovarian cysts.

Dysmenorrhea versus Endometriosis

Endometriosis is a chronic inflammatory disease in which uterine lining tissue grows on the ovaries, abdomen and pelvic cavity; it is also linked to cramps and pain, and can cause secondary dysmenorrhea.

The exact relationship between the two conditions is unclear.

Diagnosis

Dysmenorrhea can be diagnosed through medical tests, such as:

laparoscopy: a surgery in which an incision is made in the pelvic cavity so that a camera may examines the area

hysteroscopy: a process in which an instrument is inserted through the vagina that examines the cervical canal and the uterus

Complications Associated with Dysmenorrhea

While dysmenorrhea is not in itself a serious medical condition, Secondary Dysmenorrhea can lead to fertility and pregnancy problems depending on the underlying cause.

If endometriosis is causing the menstrual condition, a woman can experience infertility. If pelvic inflammatory disease is the root of dysmenorrhea, a woman’s reproductive health can be compromised. In addition, the fallopian tubes can become scarred, which can also lead to ectopic pregnancy.